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Formed in 1951; produced a variant of the Soviet Yakovlev Yak-18 trainer known locally as the CJ-5, the improved CJ-6A still being built in the late 1990s in very low volume for the same radial piston-engined primary training role. Also co-produced (with Shenyang) a Soviet MiG-19 fighter variant known as the J-6, and license-built the Antonov An-2 general-purpose biplane as the Y5 before this was taken over by the Shijiazhuang Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation. Very important program to develop the Q-5 dedicated attack aircraft from J-6 technology was begun at Shenyang in 1958 but transferred to Nanchang.

June 1965 saw first flight of a Q-5 Fantan prototype, featuring an area ruled fuselage for minimum transonic drag, cockpit armour protection, a "solid" nose and a weapon bay (for early test and production aircraft, but omitted from improved production versions). Entered Chinese service in 1970 and also exported from 1983 as upgraded A-5. Also developed the N-5A agricultural aircraft (first flown December 1989) and partnered Pakistan Aeronautical Complex in development of the K-8 Karakorum jet trainer (first flown November 1990). Name changed to Hongdu Aviation Industry (Group) Corporation Ltd. in March 1998.